Someone you loved

Chapter 30

Starring into the clear blue sky, Itachi took a deep breath, ignoring the way his lungs burned and ached. He didn't regret his choice, it was the last gift he could give his beloved siblings, a small act of repayment for what he took from them.

It would never measure up to the pain he caused them, to the problems he caused them, but it was all he could offer. They would never know what he had done but that was okay. He preferred it that way. They would remember him as the murderer of their clan and not as a sibling and would soon move on. They wouldn't have to live with more pain.

Itachi wasn't afraid to die. Not today. Not as long as he could fulfil his plan.

"Madara."

Clad in a black coat and orange mask, the man appeared in the clearing, standing in front of the younger Uchiha.

"What is the meaning of this, Itachi of the Akatsuki?" he asked sternly.

Slowly, the wind picked up and tall, dark thunder clouds pulled across the previously clear sky. Closing his eyes, Itachi exhaled slowly, and when he looked at the other shinobi again, his Mangekyo gleamed brightly.

"Die."

Abruptly, an ocean of fire balls descended upon Madara, setting the forest on fire.

"You fool," murmured Madara as he appeared on a tree branch unharmed.

Itachi was suddenly above him, kicking him away, followed with a great firedragon. He didn't get a chance to breathe when Madara appeared out of nowhere, grabbing his ankle and threw him through the air.

Coughing, Itachi got up just in time to block the kunai aiming for his throat and slamming his elbow into the older one's chest only for him to dematerialize. Stumbling, Itachi couldn't avoid Madara's fireball and was thrown into the flames. Frantically, he looked around for the other man, his eyes aching from the smoke of the burning forest and his sight getting blurrier by the second. Smoke invaded his lungs, and he went into a coughing fit, almost blindly searching for something to lean on when Madara materialized in front of him, roots spreading from his outstretched hand.

His Susanoo appeared just in time to repel the roots and Itachi fell to his knees, hand wiping away the trickle of red from his lips.

Calmly, he lifted his arm, his orange avatar moving the legendary Totsuka Blade. He only had to touch Madara once and the fight would be over. Just once.

The fight continued for hours, Itachi trying to seal the other Uchiha and Madara evading him every time, a dangerous play of cat and mouse, though who the mouse was, was still undecided.

The fire had spread for miles and the smaller settlements fled in fear of the danger and the major villages had been notified but had chosen to watch the natural fire carefully for now.

With every minute that passed Itachi grew more anxious and desperate as he felt himself get weaker and weaker. Outside, Madara showed no sign of slowing down and for the first time in years, Itachi felt the need to cry in frustration and search for comfort by his big sister.

"Stop now and I'll make it quick," shouted Madara over the noise of thunder.

Heavy raindrops splattered to the ground, one after the other. First slowly but growing in strength.

A laugh bubbled up from deep down of his chest and Itachi turned his face towards the sky, allowing his Susanoo to disappear and the water to run down his face. He loved the rain and the purity it brought with it. Gathering the last of his strength he dispersed into crows, appearing behind Madara, and allowing the man to slam a root through his stomach.